Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

If you have not made a Wonder Box poster, see instructions in Session 1.

Display the Wonder Box poster in the meeting space.

Write the closing words on newsprint and post.

Customize, print out, and photocopy the Taking It Home section for all participants.

Description of Activity

Gather the children in a circle. Show them the Wonder Box poster and explain
that it looks like the Wonder Box to remind us about our intangible gifts.
Invite a child to tape or glue the Golden Ruler to the poster. You may say:

Now we will see the Golden Ruler every time we are together here.
It will remind us that treating others the way we want to be treated is the most
important rule to remember.

Tell the children you are happy and thankful you all could be together this
morning. You may say:

Giving thanks for being together helps us remember that it is
important to be kind to one another. Let's say our closing words of gratitude
together.

Invite the children to hold hands. Show them where you have posted the
closing words. Ask them to say each line with you, and say the lines slowly:

We are thankful.

We are thankful to be here.

We are thankful to be here, together.

We are thankful to be here, together, now.

Then ask one child to very gently squeeze the hand of the person to their
left, and have that person continue to pass the squeeze until the squeeze has
returned to the person who started it. Tell the person who started the squeeze
to signal that it has returned to them by raising their arms, still holding
hands with the people on either side. When this happens, instruct everyone to
raise their clasped hands, together. If you like, suggest a word for them to say
at this moment, like "Good-bye!" or "Shalom!" or the name of this session's
intangible gift - Kindness!

Extinguish the chalice. Distribute Taking It Home handouts. Thank and dismiss
participants.